Mississippi Valley Conservancy (MVC) purchased 17 acres of land around Hay Valley Creek adjacent to the Kickapoo Valley Reserve. This stretch of land, located in Vernon County, was the only remaining private property along an 18-mile stretch of the Kickapoo River. Permanently protecting this property supports water quality and species habitat, especially important for the trout populations that swim through the creek every summer.
“Protecting the land around Hay Valley Creek will stabilize the stream banks, provide healthy soils that will absorb excess water and nutrients during rain events, and sequester carbon to fight climate change,” says MVC’s board president, Gretchen Pfeiffer.
Funding was provided by the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, the Trout Unlimited Watershed Access Fund, and the local Coulee Region Chapter of Trout Unlimited, along with several smaller grants and a gift from an anonymous donor.
Read more in Mississippi Valley Conservancy’s blog article and a story by the La Crosse Tribune.
Photo by Jon Klocek, Vendi Advertising.
